Are you tired of paying a fortune every month just to make phone calls? Follow these tips to lower your cell phone bill.

Use Wi-Fi Whenever Possible

Whenever it’s available, try to stay on a Wi-Fi connection – especially at work or at home. Avoid streaming or downloading any music, movies, or podcasts unless you’re connected to Wi-Fi. The fees for using excessive data adds up quickly, and some providers even charge you around $15 the instant you cross your limit. Ensure that you stay within your monthly data limit when you use cellular data. Some carriers also send you alerts when you’re close to crossing your limit. Sign up for them.

Limit Background Data Use

Did you know that even if you don’t use the internet when you’re on the go, your apps might use it in the background? Go to your settings and turn off background data usage. If you want to use a particular app, you can always turn on cellular data when needed.

Use Your Employee Discount

To lower your cell phone bill, find out if your company offers a corporate discount. You can also check if they provide reimbursement for using your phone for work (calls, emails, etc.) You might be able to write off some of your costs when tax time rolls around if you’re using your phone for a side hustle or home business.

Buy A No-Contract Phone

One way cell phone companies make a lot of money is through contracts. To buy a contract phone through a company, you generally need to sign a contract for two or three years to use their network. If you try to switch carriers, they’ll hit you with an exorbitant cancellation fee. Instead, opt for no-contract phones that have been gently used. These phones are unlocked (can be used with any carrier). You can browse online and even find cheaper phone models. This won’t get you the newest or hottest phone in the market, but it can help you save money by giving you the flexibility to choose and switch between carriers.

5G isn’t just about speed or being able to watch Netflix on the subway back home. It’s more about being able to get a stronger signal in crowded areas; it’s about capacity. For example, with 5G, you wouldn’t lose connectivity at a music festival or a crowded sports stadium. Here are some 5G-enabled phones that you can consider buying:

ONEPLUS 7 PRO 5G

Phone users will enjoy a 6.67-inch display, with a 90Hz refresh rate and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The OnePlus 7 Pro has a fingerprint scanner that is embedded under the AMOLED display for more accurate and faster unlocks. According to a study conducted by OnePlus, the scanner unlocks in 0.24 seconds! This scanner is 36% bigger than the one in the OnePlus 6T.

Reasons to buy:

• Rapid hardware
• Excellent OxygenOS software
• Triple rear-camera (that can shoot images at 3x optical zoom or in ultra-wide or portrait mode)

SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 ULTRA

Many features of this phone make it an irresistible buy – 5G connectivity, up to 16GB of RAM, amazing looks, and other specifications. The quad-lens rear camera allows you to get closer to the action with a sharper 10x hybrid optical zoom and its 100x digital zoom. The quality of the photos this phone takes is truly admirable. The only downside to this phone could be its price, given that it will cost you a substantial amount of money.

Reasons to buy:

• A feature-packed, versatile camera
• Smooth and huge 120Hz screen
• Hyper-premium internal hardware

TCL 10 5G

Not only does this phone offer 5G, but it also provides you with a very decent camera, processor, and screen, all for a relatively reasonable price (if you buy it SIM-free and direct). However, this phone has no wireless charging and no waterproofing, but you can’t have too many complaints considering the price point that it is offered at. Although TCL is a veteran in the electronics industry, it is relatively new to the smartphone category. However, what it has managed to pull off here is quite impressive. What makes this phone appealing (apart from the 5G connectivity) is its vivid and bright display. It also offers a variety of software tweaks that can be applied to make the colors pop when needed (for example, while watching Netflix).

Reasons to buy:

• Appealing price
• 5G connectivity
• Vivid, large display

Looking to buy a new phone for yourself this year? These new phones might just be the best options of the year:

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2

Samsung is one company that believes foldables are the future of mobile phones. Although the first version of the foldable (Galaxy Fold) was launched earlier, it quickly ran into troubles. Building on what was learned from last year’s disaster, Samsung is expected to launch the new version of the foldable, Fold 2.

The Fold 2 is expected to have a bigger internal screen and use a glass display (instead of the plastic display used in Fold). Some rumors suggest that Samsung could also launch a cheaper Fold E or Fold Lite alongside the pricey Fold 2.

Apple iPhone 12

Reports suggest that this new iPhone will keep the all-screen face, but will adopt a flattened metal frame, that’s similar to the current iPad Pro and the classic iPhone 4. As opposed to the current screen sizes (5.8, 6.1, and 6.5 inches), they could shift to 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7 inches.

However, some reports also suggest that there are two different 6.1-inch models, bringing the total tally to four iPhone 14 devices. It could break down into iPhone 12 at 5.4 inches and iPhone 12 Max at 6.1 inches (both using OLED screens), and iPhone 12 Pro at 6.1 inches, and iPhone 12 Pro Max at 6.7 inches (both of which are expected to feature more cameras, higher-resolution OLED displays, and more RAM).

Rumors suggest a four-eye design on the back and the addition of a time-of-flight camera to the current trio of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. A recent rumor also suggests 4K slow-motion shooting at 240fps, while another points to a 64MP shooter in the mix.

Google Pixel 5

We’re already hearing rumors and leaks about this Google phone. It is expected to have quite a distinctive makeover. Although almost everything is speculation at this point, rumor suggests one giant triple-camera setup on the back of this phone. A preview also suggests the potential for reverse wireless charging, as seen on Huawei and Samsung phones. It might have a similar design to the Pixel 4 at the back. With the support of a 5G network, the Google Pixel 5 will be launched later this year.

Finding the best internet service in your area and getting it installed can be frustrating. Follow the steps listed below to get an internet plan that’s based on your requirements.

Check The Availability At Your Location

This is the simplest way to find internet service options near you. This allows you to find out what your options exactly are, what the pricing is like, and what speed options are available, thus helping you easily compare and choose.

Determine The Internet Speed You Need

Some households have numerous users and devices that share the same internet connection (smartphones, smart TVs, desktop computers, smart devices, laptops, etc). You can check the recommended internet speed for your household using online bandwidth calculators. Ensure that you choose an internet service that meets your browsing needs.

Decide If You Want A TV And Phone Bundle Pack

Generally, when you choose to subscribe to an internet service, the providers will recommend you bundle the internet plan with their TV and landline phone service. These bundle plans are usually cheaper, especially for large families and households. However, some people choose to save money by getting an internet connection and streaming TV. Check all the options available and choose a plan that could potentially allow you to save.

Order And Install

Once you’ve finalized your internet provider and the right plan, the last step is to call and order the required service. Although some providers let you order online, most of them need a follow-up call to confirm the requested service.

Follow this guide to make an informed decision while choosing an internet plan and its provider.

You’re confident that your company provides value to your customers, but there’s one problem – your target audience hasn’t received the message. Growth is nonexistent and your numbers have stalled. You need strategies that not only boost your growth but also convey your brand’s value to customers. The following proven strategies will help you achieve your business goals:

Optimize Your Website

Since your website is the digital home of your brand, it needs to be optimized for both design and search engines, if you want it to generate leads and contribute to your business growth.

Choose Strategic Keywords

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to reach out to customers and convey your brand’s value to them. You need to be at the top of search results; it’s not enough to appear anywhere in the listings. In overall SEO success, choosing the right keywords is a strong step. It is recommended to choose keywords based on competition, relevance to your business goals, and popularity. Your content can be pushed to the top of search results by leveraging the right keywords.

Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

To provide a smooth experience for mobile users, it is crucial to optimize your site and make it mobile-friendly. Customers will be more likely to abandon your site (if it isn’t mobile-friendly), in favor of something easier to view on their smartphone. You can also consider omitting pop-ups for smartphone users (which could be disruptive otherwise).

Use A Growth-Drive Web Design

GDD (growth-driven design) turns traditional models of web design upside down. This user-centric approach makes consistent improvements to your website based on the latest analytics. One of the best ways to deliver value to your customers is to use relevant content. GDD uses real-time data to provide your target audience with the best possible online experience.

Send Emails To Generate Leads

Some consider email marketing to be the gold standard of marketing activities online. When you have permission to use a potential customer’s email address, you can send them emails related to the services and products your business offers. Building a valuable email list could take time, but it’s worth the effort.

Use Social Media To Engage With Customers

Social media platforms allow you to connect with your target audience using all the value-driven content that you have created. Consumers tend to engage with brands that are visible on social media. Not only does social media build the trust of your customers, but it also boosts SEO efforts and will eventually strengthen your lead generation.

Building replicable systems and a productive team in today’s time-sensitive business world is crucial. This is where great project tools and solutions could make your job easier. Here’s a list of top solutions that could help your business:

Trello

Whether you’re a one-man army or a large team, Trello is a project management tool that will help you manage personal and team projects. Visual learners can quickly adapt to its features, and it’s easy to use. For each project, you can create a board, add a card, and assign it to a team member.

Takeaway Features

• Easy tagging of team members in a task
• Multiple device availability
• Free version
• Supports other online solutions and storage like Dropbox, Google Drive, and more
• Has its own dedicated app

Evernote

Evernote allows you to collect, nurture, and share ideas with your team, by helping you organize pinned articles and use virtual notebooks. Although its features might be overwhelming for those who aren’t digitally savvy, you’ll find it useful once you adapt to its overall user design interface. Download the browser extension and start pinning articles in a virtual notebook, add a tag and file it. The premium version also gives you offline access to notebooks.

Takeaway Features

• Work chat for team collaboration
• Tags for pinned articles and organizing notebooks
• Up to 60 MB monthly upload limit (free version)
• Advanced business solutions and more upload capacity (premium version)

Google Drive

If you’re not a fan of the monthly subscription of Microsoft Office, you can opt to create documents and presentations on Google Drive. It offers 30GB of free storage. As you work online, this cloud-based business tool saves a lot of disk space on your computer. You can also share documents as you write them, edit and revise content, and create a pitch deck and work in real-time with your team. What’s more, you can conveniently save all your files on the cloud.

Takeaway Features

• No software needs to be installed
• Tracks revisions on files
• Easy collaboration and file-sharing
• Works like Microsoft Office
• Autosave feature